Course Topic
Monasteries and chapterhouses, convents, and communities have always been a place of conservation and transmission of Buchkultur, not only of theological or spiritual texts, but also for legal, historical, philosophical and scientific content. Especially during the late Middle Ages and the early modern period monks and nuns became agents in a process of reformation and renovation by composing and using their own libraries. Using and reading manuscripts and letters, sermons and orations, they built up a networking community, that connected people beyond the walls of the ‘clausura’ of a cloister. These days manuscript research and close reading can reconstruct and make visible this communities as Überlieferungs- und Ideengemeinschaft.
Starting from this evidence, the seminar, conceived in a multidisciplinary perspective, takes into consideration late mediaeval manuscripts of various subjects and of conventual provenance: Benediktinerabtei St. Blasius Northeim, Augustiner-Chorherrenstift Georgenberg Goslar, Augustiner-Chorfrauenstift St. Petrus und Paulus Heiningen, Augustiner-Chorfrauen St. Trinitatis Dorstadt, Benediktinerkloster Clus. The manuscripts from the monasteries mentioned are all in Wolfenbüttel so that the work will be done on the original manuscripts themselves
The course will be organised over two weeks, from July 28 to August 8 2025 (arrival: Sunday, July 27; departure: Saturday, August 9). The sessions take place from Monday to Friday, 9 am – 1 pm. They will comprise an introduction to the main issues, presentations of crucial texts, and discussions.
Course sessions and teaching team
In particular the project aims at reconstructing 1) the self-fashioning of the community in a networking structure, 2) the communication in the context of spiritual culture, 3) the differentiation of female and male culture (gender question), and 4) the using of vernacular traditions as a tool of transmission of knowledge and as marker of social identity.
Topics to be covered comprise paleography, codicology, source analysis, intellectual history, social history, philosophy, theology, history of science, legal history.
- Dr. Alessandro Palazzo (Università di Trento),
28–29 July: The medical manuscripts of the HAB - Dr. Monica Brinzei (Directrice de recherche (DR1 IRHT-CNRS),
30–31 July: Reading inside a community and the medieval misattribution of Cod. Guelf 230 Helmst. - Caecilia Désirée Hein (Library of Reformation Studies, Wittenberg),
31 July–1 August: Writing a reform. Bernard of Waging and the Late Medieval monastery reform in Tegernsee - Dr. Katja Weidner (Universität Wien),
4–5 August: The Latin Alexander romance: Case studies from Austria - Dr. Maximilian Benz (Universität Bielefeld),
6–7 August: Reform and piety in the Schnals Charterhouse: Heinrich Haller – the tradition of manuscripts and the history of piety. - Dr. Marc Aeilko Aris and Prof. Dr. Alessandra Beccarisi:
28 July: Introduction; 8 August: Conclusion
Programme
27 July 2025 Arrival
28 July 2025
09.00 Alessandra Beccarisi: Introduction to the Summerschool
10.00–1 pm Alessandro Palazzo: The medical manuscripts of the HAB
29 July 2025
09.00–1 pm Alessandro Palazzo: The medical manuscripts of the HAB
30 July 2025
09.00–1 pm Monica Brinzei: Reading inside a community and the medieval misattribution of Cod. Guelf 230 Helmst.
31 July 2025
09.00–1 pm Caecilia Désirée Hein: Writing a reform. Bernard of Waging and the Late Medieval monastery reform in Tegernsee.
1 August 2025
09.00–1pm Caecilia Désirée Hein: Writing a reform. Bernard of Waging and the Late Medieval monastery reform in Tegernsee.
2-3 August 2025: No lectures
4 August 2025
09.00–1 pm Katja Weidner: The Latin Alexander romance: Case studies from Austria
5 August 2025
09.00–1 pm Katja Weidner: The Latin Alexander romance: Case Studies from Austria.
6 August 2025
09.00–1 pm Maximilian Benz: Reform and piety in the Schnals Charterhouse: Heinrich Haller – the tradition of manuscripts and the history of piety.
7 August 2025
09.00–1 pm Maximilian Benz: Reform and piety in the Schnals Charterhouse: Heinrich Haller – the tradition of manuscripts and the history of piety.
8 August 2025
09.00–1 pm Marc Aeilko Aris and Alessandra Beccarisi: Conclusion
9 August 2025 Departure
Organisation
The Summer Course is addressed to masters and doctoral students and will be conducted in English. Mornings will be devoted to presentations by the participants and to workshops led by senior scholars in the field. Key readings will be circulated in advance. In the afternoons, participants will be able to use the holdings of the Herzog August Bibliothek for their own work and will have opportunities to hold individual or group discussions with those teaching the course.
The library offers up to fifteen places for participants and will cover their expenses for accomodation and breakfast. Each participant will receive a subsidy of 100 Euros to cover living costs. Participants are expected to pay their own travel expenses.
There are no application forms. Applicants should state their reasons for wishing to participate in the course and send a c.v. that describes their academic career and their current research. Please also supply the address of an academic referee who may be contacted to provide a reference if needed.
Address: ed.ba1737384532h@gnu1737384532hcsro1737384532f1737384532; Deadline: 28 February 2025.
Contact
Dr. Volker Bauer
Herzog August Bibliothek
Postfach 13 64
D-38299 Wolfenbüttel
Fax: +49 5331 – 808 266
ed.ba1737384532h@gnu1737384532hcsro1737384532f1737384532
(Image Description : Signatur: Cod. Guelf. 1297 Helmst., 217r (Jacob’s Ladder))